About Barrett Strong
Barrett Strong Jr. (February 5, 1941 – January 28, 2023) was an American singer and songwriter known for his recording of "Money (That's What I Want)", which was the first hit single for the Motown record label. He is also known for his songwriting work in association with producer Norman Whitfield; together, they penned such songs as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "War", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". In 2004, Strong was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Whitfield. The single was originally released on Tamla, Motown's first label, but was then leased to the Anna label as it was getting airplay, and it was on the Anna label that it was a hit. In the mid-1960s, Strong became a Motown writer lyricist, teaming with producer Norman Whitfield. Strong left the label for Capitol Records, where he recorded two albums in the 1970s: Stronghold (1975) and Live & Love (1976).
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.